Projects

Walt Disney World - Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and Convention Center

Written by Lee Lewis | Jul 30, 2024 8:20:00 PM

Modeled after turn-of-the-century seaside cottages, the Yacht Club Resort is an upscale five-story New England nautical-themed resort that opened in 1990. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern this 630-room hotel reflects the style of New England shore hotels of the 1880s, reminiscent of the summertime “shingle style” hotels of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The nautical theme is evident throughout, with distinctive grey and white clapboard and red and white striped awnings distinguishing itself from the light blue motif of Beach Club. The Yacht Club is slightly more formal in décor than the Beach Club, designed to make guests feel as if they are on a ship with sophistication found in the dark hardwood floors, leather couches, and antique lobby chandeliers. The nautical theme is conveyed through deep blue and brown color tones, brass fixtures, and rich millwork. It is located next to the Beach Club Resort, a more relaxed, pastel-toned resort, shaded by broad oak trees and lapped by the gentle waters of 25-acre Crescent Lake. The Yacht and Beach Club Resorts have a combined total of 1,215 guest rooms and nearly 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space on one contiguous level. The most unique feature of both resorts is that they share one of the nation’s largest sand-bottom pools, Stormalong Bay. This 750,000-gallon, three-acre swimming pool consists of whirlpools, lagoons, slides, and meandering waterways. The waterslide is housed in a shipwreck and empties out into the larger pool area. The iconic lighthouse sits at the end of the Yacht and Beach Club dock and the Boardwalk that circles Crescent Lake.